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(No Model.) 0. A. CLARK.

HAY AND STRAW CUTTER.

N0. 360,559. Patented Apr. 5, 1887.

E mum UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. CLARK, OF ST. JOHN, NEIV BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

HAY AND STRAW CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 360,559, dated April 5,1887,

Application filed July 13, 1885. Renewed September 9, 1886. Serial No.213,176. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. CLARK, of St. John, in the county of St.John and Province ofNewBrunswick, Canada, have invented Improvements inHay and Straw Cutters; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure l is'a side view of a hay and straw cutter provided with myimprovements; Fig. 2, an opposite side view of the same; Fig. 3, an endview of the same; Fig. 4, a section in a plane indicated by the line am, Fig. 3.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

The cutting-box A and frame B may be of ordinary construction. Thedriving gearwheel C, having a winch or handle, a, is mounted on a pivotor shaft, 6, atone side of the frame, and gears into a smallergear-wheel or pinion, D, which is secured to a shaft, E, that extendsacross the frame to the other side of the same. The gear-wheel C isshown as being of twice the diameter of the pinion 1.), thus tu rningthe driving-shaft E twice at every turn of the crank; but any otherproportionate size of the two gear-wheels may be employed. Thedriving-shaft E serves to give a vibratory up-and-down movement to theframe or carrier G, to which the movable knife H is socured. Thisknife-frame is pivoted at c to the main frame, so that the knife H maycut down past and close to the stationary knife I, which is secured to astationary frame or plate, J, attached to the machine-frame.

Now, for moving the free end of the movable knife-frame G by means ofthe driving-shaft E, I employ thefollowing construction: Upon the saidshaft E is acrank and balance wheel, K, in the face of which is a seriesof holes, 02 d, situated at successively different distances from thecenter of the wheel, into any one of which a crank-pin, f, may beinserted for actuating the knife-frame G. A swivel-block,

L, turns on the crank-pin f, and it has an eye, g, into which takes thehook or eye it of a connecting-rod, M. The upper end of thisconnectingrod has a hook, i, which hooks into an eye, j, in the free endof the knife-frame G. Thus, while there is a direct and positivedriving'connection between the driving-shaft and k nifeframe, theconnectingrod M has a perfectly free movement at both ends, so that themotion is perfectly free whatever may be the position of the crank-pinor ofthe knife-frame. The adjustment of the crank-pin to different holes(I d is to compensate for the wearing away of the width of the knives astheybecome narrowed by successive sharpenings thereof. At first the pinis inserted in the hole nearest to'the center of the crank-wheel. Thenit is shifted to the next farthest hole from the center, and so on tothe last or farthest one from the center of the wheel.

In order to keep the two knives close together, there is an undercutlip, k, on the face of the frame or plate J of the stationary knife I,concentric, or nearly so, with the circle in which the movable knifemoves, and behind the lip a tongue or projection, Z, on the movableframe G moves. This tongue or projection is adjustable by itsattaching-screw, or otherwise, so as to draw the movable knife nearer tothe other when required.

I am aware that in metal-cutting shears the movable knife has beenguided by arms and friction-rollers bearing against gnideways; and suchI disclaim.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the reciprocatingknife-frame G, pivoted at one end, drivingshaft E, situated in a planeparallel with the knife'frame, crank-wheel K on the said driving-shaft,crank-pinf, adjustable upon the crank-wheel, swivel-block L, mounted onthe crank-pin, and connecting-rod M, having a movable joint-connectionboth with the swivel block and movable end of the knife-frame,substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of the stationary knifeframe J, provided with theundercut lip 7c, and the movable k nife-frame G, provided with thetongue or projection Z, and screw for adj usting the same, substantiallyas and for the purpose herein specified.

CHAS. A. hIACDONALD, F. G. KNowL'roN.

